A new three-part documentary series looking back at the history of touring car racing in Britain will be broadcast on ITV4 this February.
‘Touring Car Legends’ will be broadcast in early 2014 on the channel in three seperate one-hour programmes.
It will tell the story of the British Touring Car Championship from its beginnings in the 1950s through the major shake-ups of the 1980s and the so-called golden years of mainstream popularity in the early 1990s, to the cars and characters that make the championship what it is today.
The series, narrated by Tiff Needell, will mix archive footage with bespoke interviews with key drivers, team members and motor sport pundits as it recounts the history of the BTCC from the first race on Boxing Day 1957 to the present day.
Each episode focuses on a different period, shedding fresh light on the legendary drivers, the legendary cars and the legendary moments that have made the BTCC such a success.
John Claridge, Head of Programme Strategy, ITV4, said: “ITV4 has a solid track record of screening exciting sports documentaries and is synonymous with televising touring car racing in the modern era so we’re excited to bring this new series to viewers’ screens.
“It goes through the archives to show just how exciting ‘tin-top’ racing has been over the last 60 years and I’m delighted Gaucho will bring the stories and highlights to life for us.”
Alistair Weaver, Executive Producer, Gaucho Productions, said: “I fell in love with motor sport watching the likes of Andy Rouse, Steve Soper and John Cleland doing battle in cars that looked a bit like the one Dad drove.
“The British Touring Car Championship has always been about the cars and the characters and with the passage of time we plan to offer fresh insight into what really happened in some of the sport’s most memorable moments.
“We’re delighted that we are able to bring these stories to life and share them with the dedicated fans of ITV4.”
ITV Sport has covered the British Touring Car Championship since 2002 and will continue to screen live action from the series until at least the end of the 2016 season.
Touring Car Legends is produced by Gaucho Productions and debuts on ITV4 on Wednesday, February 5, at 8.00pm.
